Eleven arrested for drink driving

It was a busy weekend for the police on Rarotonga, with 11 people arrested on drink driving charges and several other motorists having their keys confiscated.

Police also responded to incidents of domestic violence, excessive noise, drunkenness and drinking in public.

Road safety has been identified as a police priority in 2018 and the strict checks that began over the Christmas period are set to continue into the new year.

There were nine arrests for excess alcohol on Friday night and the early hours of Saturday morning, a number that the police called “significant”. Seven other drivers had their keys confiscated.

Checks later on in the weekend led to two more arrests.

All of those arrested face prosecution and risk losing their driving license for 12 months as well as monetary fines, say police.

“These penalties will continue as long as drivers continue to drink and drive. Word of warning: you could be tested on the roads around Rarotonga,” said police in a statement.

As well as manning road blocks, officers also responded to calls involving domestic abuse this weekend, and a one man was arrested and charged with wilful damage. He had previously been involved in a domestic dispute in which his partner had reported being assaulted and threatened.

There were at least two other incidents involving family disputes in town over the weekend, which were described by police as “ugly”.

There were several complaints of excessive noise, with two calls to police relating to the Golf Club in Nikao. Officers were also alerted to parties in Betela and Karekare.

In other incidents a drunk man who fell asleep in town was removed by police, officers were called to reports of men drinking at a bus stop in Arorangi, one of whom was subsequently arrested for drink driving. And on Sunday morning, a man reportedly made threats to kill staff at a shop in Nikao.